Gyeongbokgung will close for a day for BTS' comeback concert to be held next month at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul.
The Korea Heritage Service Royal Palaces and Tombs Center announced on the 28th via its website and social media (SNS) that Gyeongbokgung will be closed on Saturday, Mar. 21. Gyeongbokgung is usually open on weekends and has operated Tuesday as its regular closure day.
The scheduled closure date is the day BTS' comeback celebration concert will take place at Gwanghwamun Square. BTS is reportedly discussing a plan to meet fans by taking the stage set up on the north side of the square after passing through Gwanghwamun and the Woldae with Gyeongbokgung as the backdrop.
According to the minutes of the Cultural Heritage Committee released by the Korea Heritage Service, the agency applied for a filming plan to stage a scene where the singer walks out to the square with all three "arches of Gwanghwamun (Hongyemun·虹霓門)" open.
Police estimate as many as 260,000 people could gather for the concert.
The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, adjacent to the square, will be closed on the Saturday of the concert. The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts is also canceling or adjusting scheduled performances, including musicals, plays and ballet.
The Korea Heritage Service also recently met with BTS' agency to discuss the concert plan, Gyeongbokgung visitor operations and visitor safety measures, according to reports. The National Palace Museum of Korea, which is attached to Gyeongbokgung, is also reviewing whether to close.